Person

William Hall was born in Kelloe on 26 April 1891. His father was Lumley coal miner Henry Hall (1867). His mother was Elizabeth Hall nee Cook (1870). She was born in Norfolk and was a coal miner’s daughter. His parents married in Auckland in 1888 and had ten children, eight of whom were still living at the time of the 1911 census. In 1901 the Hall family were living in Broompark. By the time of the 1911 census they had moved to 11 East Wood Row, Burnhope. William was employed as a pony putter at Burnhope Colliery.

William enlisted in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) on 7 June 1915. His service number was TZ/5185. His brother Leonard Hall had an adjacent number TZ/5184 which suggests they enlisted together. William was drafted to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) on 5 October 1915 and joined the Nelson Battalion of the Royal Naval Division (RND) on 21 October 1915. His battalion saw action at Gallipoli.

William saw service with the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from May 1916. On 14 July 1917 he was treated for the skin infection furunculosis but immediately returned to active service after treatment. He joined 7th Entrenching Battalion on 22 February 1918 and was posted to Hawke Battalion on 15 March 1918.

On 21 March 1918 William was reported to have been gassed and missing until it became known he was a prisoner of war. He was moved into Germany where he died from inflammation of the brain on 15 August 1918. He is buried in the Berlin South Western Cemetery, Stahnsdorf, Germany. In 1922-23 it was decided that the graves of Commonwealth servicemen who had died all over Germany should be brought together into four permanent cemeteries. Berlin South Western was one of those chosen and in 1924-25, graves were brought into the cemetery from 146 burial grounds in eastern Germany.

William Hall is remembered on four memorials in his home town of Burnhope. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service in World War One.

Civil Parish: Lanchester

Birth date: 26-Apr-1891

Death date: 15-Aug-1918

Armed force/civilian: Navy

Residence: Broompark (1901 census)
11 East Wood Row, Burnhope (1911 census)
11 East Wood Row (1918 absent voters list)

Employment: Pony putter (1911 census)

Family: Parents: Henry Hall (1867), Elizabeth Hall nee Cook (1870)
Siblings: George Hall (1889), Leonard Hall (1894), Anthony Hall (1897), Henry Hall (1900), Lillian Hall (1902), Violet Hall (1905), Elizabeth Alice Hall (1907), Thomas Hall (1909)

Military service:

TZ/5185
Able seaman
Royal Naval Division
Nelson Battalion, 1915-1918
7th Entrenching Battalion, February 1918
Hawke Battalion, 1918

Medal(s): Medals
1914-15 Star
Victory Medal
British War Medal

Memorial(s): Berlin South Western Cemetery, Stahnsdorf, Germany
Garden 1914-18, Burnhope
Book of Remembrance 1914-18, St John the Evangelist, Holmside Lane, Burnhope
Plaque 1914-18,St John the Evangelist, Holmside Lane, Burnhope
Roll of Honour, Ritson, Burnhope and Pontop Collieries

Electoral Register:

Register No: 423
Forename: William
Surname: Hall
Parliamentary Division: Barnard Castle
Polling District: B - Burnhope
Parish: Lanchester
Date: October-1918
Reference: October-1918

Gender: Male

Contributed by D Donkin, Stanley